ROCHESTER, Mich. - Backed by an offensive surge from the frontcourt, the Golden Grizzlies took down the Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons by a final score of 76-72 tonight from the OU Credit Union O'Rena.

The Golden Grizzlies (9-12, 6-4 HL) were led by Allen Mukeba, who notched a double-double with 22 points and 11 rebounds. In addition to Mukeba, Buru Naivalurua had a strong night for Oakland, pouring in 22 points while collecting eight rebounds.

Purdue Fort Wayne (14-7, 7-3 HL), who entered tonight in the two spot in league standings, saw Jalen Jackson lead the way with 15 points. Chandler Cuthrell also had a solid showing for the Mastodons, coming away with 13 points while leading the team in rebounds with seven.

Allen Mukeba got on the board first for the Golden Grizzlies after Deangelo Elisee fouled him while he was going up for a shot. At the charity stripe, Mukeba split his free throws before Buru Naivalurua quickly followed up with a layup off the glass, giving Oakland a quick 3-0 lead over the Mastodons.

After the Golden Grizzlies got the ball rolling, the Mastodons scored the next eight points, backed by a pair of three-pointers, lifting them to a five-point lead over Oakland. Despite the pushback from Purdue Fort Wayne, Mukeba grabbed a miss and converted at the rim before Malcolm Christie buried a three, tying the game up at 18 each near the midway point of the first half.

The first half was a battle the rest of the way. Although the Mastodons built a slight lead, the Golden Grizzlies closed the gap at every opportunity. With a chance to take the lead or tie the game going into the break, Isaiah Jones lofted up a pass to Naivalurua, who hammered down an alley-oop, tying the game at 30-30.

At the half, Oakland shot at a .433 (13-for-30) rate from the field, while the Mastodons knocked down just .323 (10-for-31) of their attempts. Purdue Fort Wayne held the advantage from the three-point line, knocking their threes down at a .700 clip (7-for-10), while the Golden Grizzlies made just .273 (3-for-11) of their threes. Off the glass, the Mastodons just outrebounded Oakland, leading the way 21-17.

As the second half got underway, both teams traded energetic baskets back and forth. In the first seven minutes of the half, the Golden Grizzlies and the Mastodons combined for seven lead changes.

Halfway through the second, the Golden Grizzlies' unrelenting offense started to build them a comfortable lead. Another powerful dunk from Naivalurua bolstered the Oakland lead to 49-41, the largest of the night for the Golden Grizzlies to that point.

With the game coming to a close, Purdue Fort Wayne wasn't going down without a fight, overtaking the Golden Grizzlies by a point with just under three minutes to go. Mukeba converted a tough layup on the next possession, shifting the lead back to Oakland's favor.

Mukeba hit another layup a minute later, expanding the Golden Grizzlies' lead to three points while leaving the Mastodons time for just one more possession. After a Purdue Fort Wayne miss, the Mastodons had no options but to foul Oakland, as one last Naivalurua sealed the Golden Grizzlies win, 76-72.

By the end of the game, Oakland shot at a .534 clip (31-for-58), while the Mastodons knocked down .475 (28-for-59) of their shots. Off the backboard, the Golden Grizzlies overtook Purdue Fort Wayne in the second, finishing the game with a 30-28 rebounding advantage.

Next, the Golden Grizzlies will look to extend their win streak with a matchup against the Robert Morris Colonials on Saturday, Jan. 25. With a tip-off slated for 2 p.m. ET, the game will be played on the road and streamed live on ESPN+. All Oakland games this season will be live streamed through audio via 97.1HD-3, The Bet1270 AM (WXYT-AM) & the Audacy App with Neal Ruhl on the call.